Collapsible chair.



No. 773,308. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

W. P. 0. 'WEIDENBAUM.

GOLLAPSIB'LE CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS SHEET 1.

No. 773,308. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

WLP. G. WEIDENBAUM.

UOLLAPSIBLE CHAIR.

N0 MODEL APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented October 25, 1904.

EEicE.

PATENT l/VILLIAM F. C. VVEIDENBAUM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 7 3,308, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed November 30, 1903. Serial No. 183,264. (No model.)

To all whom, it Duty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. (J. WEIDEN- BAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tocollapsible chairs, and has for its primary object to produce a simple, strong, economical, and easily-manipulated chair of this character which may be folded very compactly when not in use, so as to occupy a minimum of space, such a characteristic of these chairs being especially desirable when they are to be used as camp or steamer chairs, where floor and storage space are at a premium.

To this end my invention consists in a novel foldable chair having the peculiarities of construction and operation substantially as herein described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a simple form of my invention.

. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form employing additional brace members between away, of the chair shown in'Fig. 1 in collapsed form. Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of-Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 of the form of chair shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view, detached, of one of the braces between the seat and the rearwardly-extending legs; and Fig. 8 is a detail view, detached, of a pivotal link connecting the lower portion of the back member of the chair with the main side frame members.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates each of a pair of inclinedmain side frame members, the upper portions of which constitute the supports for the back of the chair, while their lower portions constitute the forwardly-extending legs.

11 designates each of a pair of rearwardlyextending legs crossing and pivoted to the members 10 by pivot-bolts 12. These legs are gradually reduced in width from their on the upper ends of the legs 11.

to form a stop between said parts.

pivotal points to their upper ends, as by tapering their upper edges, as shown at 11 which is a feature of importance", since it enables the upper portions of the legs to lie wholly within the width of the side frame members 10 when the chair is collapsed, with the upper ends of the legs 11 lying against the rear end portion of the seat.

13 designates the seat, which is pivoted near its rear end by pivot-bolts 14 to the side frame members 10 and rests at its outer end The under surface of the seat where it contacts the upper ends of said legs is preferably notched, as shown at 13, to receive a correspondinglyformed projection 11 on the ends of the legs The legs 11 are connected by a series of transverselyextending dowels or rounds 15, 16, and 17. In the simplest form of my invention I connect the upper dowel 15 with the under side of the chair-bottom by a pair of links 18, (shown in detail in Fig. 7,) each link consisting simply of a straight stifi metal strip terminating at one end in a ring 18, fitting over the dowel and having at its other end a hole 18 to receive a pivot-pin 19, disposed transversely of a slot 20, Fig. 3, formed in and longitudinally of the side members of the seatframe.

21 designates the back of the chair, which may be a rectangular frame having asuitable panel 22, and for the sake of greater convenience in the use of the chair I preferably pivot said back between the main side frame members at its upper end, as by pivot-pins 23, and connect the lower depending portion with said side frame members by oscillatory links 24. Each of these links, as shown in the detail view Fig. 8, consists simply of a stiff wire rod having its ends bent oppositely at right angles to its body portion, the upper ends 24 fitting sockets in the opposite edges of the frame member of the back, while the lower ends 24 engage rounded sockets 25 in the inner faces of the side frame members 10. It

will be observed that the sockets 25 are of increased diameter relatively to the diameter of the link 24, whereby the bent ends of the lat ter may not only oscillate in said socket, but

may also have suflicient bodily movement therein to permit a straightening of the link 24: and the back 21, so as to lie between and in line with the side frame members 10, between which they are disposed. The edges of the frame of the back are cut out at 21 to provide space for and house the links A.

By connecting the seat to one of the rounds connecting the rearwardly-extending legs of the chair a very strong construction is provided, yielding a structure which is stable and well balanced against both vertical and lateral strains.

Instead of employing merely a single link or a pair of links 18 between the chair-bottom and the upper round of the underframe I may employ a construction such as is shown in Figs. and 6, wherein it will be seen that the upper round is connected centrally thereof by a single link 25, pivoted centrally of the under side of the seat member, as by a pivotpin 26, while the next lower round 16 is connected at its ends with the rear end of the under side of the chair-bottom by links 27, pivoted in slots 28, similar to the slots 20 of Fig. 3. This construction provides a structure equally capable with the previously-described structure of being collapsed into practically the space between the main side frame members, as shown by Fig. 6, and of still greater strength and stability. This form of chair may employ the pivoted back 21, already described in connection with Figs. 1, 3, and t, or it may have an inclined back 29, rigidlysecured to and between the main upright members of the chair.

I claim 1. In a foldable chair, the combination with a pair of side frame members the lower portions whereof constitute legs and the upper portions supports for the chair-back, of a pair of rearwardly-extending legs pivoted to and crossing the leg portions of said side frame members, a seat pivoted at its rear portion to said side frame members and adapted to rest upon the upper ends of said rearwardly-extending legs, a series of rounds connecting the latter, a link-brace pivotally connecting one of said rounds with the under side of the seat, and a pair of link-braces pivotally connecting the end portions of another of said rounds also with the under side of the chairseat, substantially as described.

2. In a foldable chair, the combination with a pair of upwardly and rearwardly inclined side frame members constituting supports for the chair-back and having sockets formed in their inner opposed faces, of a chair-back pivoted at the upper portions of its sidemargins to said side frame members, and links connecting the lower portion of said chair-back with said side frame members, said links each comprising a rod having oppositely-bent ends one of which is pivotally mounted in a side margin of the chair-back while the other engages one of said sockets in the side frame members, substantially as described.

WILLIAM F. C. WEIDENBAUM.

\Yitnesses:

SAMUEL N. Pom), FREDERICK G. (Ji'OODWIN. 

